Take Your Chance
by LadyOfGlass
Summary: A Story For Rosebud5. A Small Encounter.


**Author's Note: this is my first, and probably my only venture into the world of Les Miserables.**

**Made for and dedicated to Rosey,. because I know that she deserves the chance to meet her dear Enjolras...and do her bit for the revolution...**

Enjolras frowned up at the window high up above him, as if he could make it disappear purely by willing it to vanish.

"I thought Grantaire said that he would block all the ways into this alley," he said, quietly "If they can get in through that window, then they can get to the barricade."

"They can catch us from behind," agreed Courfeyrac, who was looking up at the window in much the same way.

"Have you seen Grantaire?" asked Enjolras, looking from Courfeyrac to Feuilly and Jehan - the only other members of Les Amis present.

"I saw him in the wineshop," volunteered Jehan.

There was a collective sigh - there would be little point in trying to get him to finish the job, now.

"One of us will have to do it, then."

"I doubt that we could. Do you see that beam up there?" asked Feuilly.

They nodded, they all saw it - a narrow beam stretching across the alley, about eight feet from the ground.

"Well?"

"We'd have to balance on that to board up the window, and it doesn't look strong enough to take the weight..."

Enjolras sighed - there wasn't time for this "Where's Gavroche?"

"He said he was going to go look for a cart," said Courfeyrac "To block one of the other alleys."

They all stared at one another, trying to find the solution to the problem. They couldn't afford a single weakness in their defences, even one window...

"Pardon me," said a voice from behind them "But perhaps I could help?"

The four friends turned, quickly, and saw a young woman standing at the mouth of the alley. She was fair haired - about a head shorter than Enjolras, and perhaps a little younger. Enjolras couldn't quite place her face, though he was certain that he'd seen her during the mad rush to build the barricade.

Yes, she'd been there, wedging a chair up; against the wreckage of a piano. Had she joined in to help the revolution? Or did she live in one of the houses behind the barricade and had merely been swept up in the unfolding events?

"I don't believe I know your name, Mademoiselle," said Enjolras, after a slight pause.

"Rosine," said the young woman, smiling "Rosine Bourgeon. You see, I am very light, and I believe that I can climb up there, and help you fix up your window."

Enjolras hesitated, then nodded.

"Feuilly, fetch a hammer and some nails. And Jehan, find some boards that can be nailed across..."

The two young men were quick to follow his instructions, and both soon returned, slightly out of breath, with the requested items.

"Pass me up the boards," said Rosine, stowing the hammer and nails in a large pocket in her dress.

She took a step back, almost colliding with Feuilly, and then jumped, with surprising agility, catching hold of the beam with one hand and, bracing her feet against the rough brick wall, hoisting herself up. Perhaps unfortunately, Rosine unwittingly gave those watching below a highly...interesting view in the process...

Jehan and Feuilly exchanged quick glances, and then, with a certain amount of throat clearing, politely looked away, Courfeyrac following suit after a moment or two. It took Enjolras a few faintly bemused seconds to realize why, and then he too quickly averted his eyes.

Within a few minutes, Rosine had hoisted herself up onto the narrow beam, skirts and legs safely out of view, and, by the time that the four friends looked back at her, she had straightened up and was balanced there precariously.

"Are you ready to take the boards, Mademoiselle?" Jehan called up, as the board creaked and groaned under the girl's weight.

Rosine took a deep breath and nodded " them up."

"Go on," said Enjolras, nodding to Courfeyrac and Feuilly, who began to pass the boards to Rosine, one by one.

She managed fairly well, though as she took each one she swayed back a little, and Enjolras watched, frowning as she took the last board from Courfeyrac.

"Can you nail them across the window?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so. They're the right length, at least."

There was a rustle of cloth as Rosine pulled the hammer and the bag of nails out of her pocket, and then a clatter and bang as she set to work. The beam shuddered and shook so violently that Jehan, Courfeyrac, and Feuilly all began to look distinctively worried, and Rosine stumbled sideways, almost dropping the hammer as she struggled to keep her balance.

"Mademoiselle," Enjolras began, catching sight of her pale face high up in the shadowy gloom "If you slip, I'll catch you..."

Rosine nodded, seemingly quite reassured, and returned to her work, hammering in the last nail and then stepping back a little, pressing her palms against the boards to make sure that they were securely blocking the window.

She looked down at them, and Enjolras saw a peculiar expression flash across her face for a moment.

"You say that you'll catch me if I fall, Monsieur?" she called down, and Enjolras, after glancing at the others briefly, nodded.

Rosine opened her mouth to say something else, but then let out a gasp as she swayed and stumbled sideways, staggering into the empty air - plummeting from the beam with a billow of skirts and a cry of alarm.

Startled, Enjolras reacted without thinking, jumping forward and catching the girl, albeit a little clumsily and with a little sideways stagger, in his arms. Rosine blinked, staring at him, with her hair curling in a rather messy way out of her now askew cap and her cheeks flushing red.

"Are you alright, Mademoiselle?" Enjolras asked, trying to remember if he had seen her foot slip or the beam tilt, or...

"I...think so," said Rosine "I must have lost my balance..."

There was a pause, at this point.

"Thank you for your help," Enjolras said, setting her back on her feet and glancing back up at the boarded up window "That should keep them out for a while."

"Indeed," said Rosine, nodding and smoothing her skirts "Well, it was my pleasure to help."

As she turned away, Enjolras noticed her shoulders were shaking, and he would have thought that perhaps her sudden fall had frightened her more than she'd let on...if it weren't for...

If it weren't for the fact that, as she turned, he distinctly saw her grin.

"Feuilly, would you say that there's any chance that that was accidental?" asked Courfeyrac from behind him.

"No chance, whatsoever."


End file.
